Parliamentary Minority Leader Ibrahim Nazil has accused the government of attempting to buy the upcoming council elections through financial influence.
Speaking at a Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) rally on Tuesday evening, Nazil made several allegations against the government, including claims of corruption and vote-buying.
“We are hearing very clearly that they plan to buy the council elections with money,” he said.
Nazil warned that such practices would result in electing representatives who serve business interests rather than the public, adding: “The people will decide on this.”
He also accused the government of stealing public funds, claiming that money is being siphoned off “in broad daylight.”
މިޕާޓީގެ ހަރުގެ ޖަލްސާ ކުރިއަށް ދަނީ pic.twitter.com/tthGf0pAnY
— MDP Secretariat (@MDPSecretariat) December 16, 2025
“Why are they dredging various parts of the country? Why are they reclaiming land? How much is the government charging per cubic meter or square meter? The people need to know,” Nazil said.
He alleged that the government is charging MVR 8 to MVR 9 per cubic meter, while the actual cost is MVR 4.
Nazil’s remarks come amid long-standing concerns about vote-buying in Maldivian elections, a practice that has been alleged across successive administrations but rarely investigated. He suggested that monetary influence in elections has become normalized, undermining democratic accountability.